In thinking upon today’s class, I would like to introduce the idea of the current literary canon (in terms of both school and wider culture) as not necessarily in conflict with critical thinking. In other words, a wider canon exists that overlaps with the school environment that is the result of a back and forth between both the audience and the work. What I mean by this, is that a work cannot exist without an audience and in that work there can exist resonate themes that are recognizable by the audience. These themes and ideas would allow the survival and even reapplication of the work or just elements of it. Some examples of wider themes would be related to the concepts of the “heroes journey” and the “hero with a 1000 faces”. With this in mind, a significant amount of current literary canon could be seen as merely the result of years and even centuries of foundational work piling up to develop and create a larger story that resonates with the human condition. Using Shakespeare as an example of this, the more well known works (such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth) are better known for their larger themes then the actual events or multitude of characters in them (with unconditional love, revenge, and downfall as example themes). Even in the wider culture books like the Harry Potter series today do create a wider resonance with the audience that can be traced to both larger themes (coming of age and rebirth being the more obvious ones) and even basic and recognizable character structures (Dolores Umbridge being a ‘Tyrant with a smile’ similar to Anne Wilkes from Misery). Therefore, to expand upon some of the ideas in the “Courageous Voices” reading, would it be accurate to say that current literary canon is not so much the books themselves but the ideas and themes that exist within them. Do you agree or disagree?